Coach Pete probably won't admit it, but the most crucial position for the Boise State Broncos is quarterback.
Over the last three seasons Kellen Moore has been not only one of the most impressive players on the Broncos, but he's been close to tops in the nation.
But what happens if Kellen goes down?
Who is waiting in the wings to take over one of the highest flying offenses in the nation?
The answer has two parts.
The first is sophomore quarterback Joe Southwick.
Bronco Nation had an opportunity to see Joe get into the action during the 2010 season. He threw his first career touchdown and was steady in mop up duty during many BSU blowouts.
This spring he has continued growing both as a quarterback and a teammate to the pleasure of Coach Pete.
"Joe's been here a while now and sometimes it's hard to see those big jumps, but I think we're seeing them in him, said Chris Petersen."
While Joe has established himself as a quality number two guy, freshman Grant Hedrick (the second part of the answer) has emerged as a guy that will likely be able to step in as well.
During the first scrimmage of the spring he showed both his ability to run and throw in an offense he is still coming to grips with.
"Grant everyday is making progress," said Coach Pete. "You know the system is still pretty new to him because of red-shirting and running the scout team."
Joe, Grant, and even Kellen have all spent time running the scout team as freshman.
Now they're all taking reps together and are paying special attention to the performance of one another because they know their growth as players hinges on their ability to work with one another.
"[We] learn from each others mistakes and successes and I think the three of us work really well," said quarterback Kellen Moore. "We have a lot of fun together."
Fun is why the guys play the game, but the work Southwick and Hedrick put in during the off season is going to be what makes or breaks their opportunities once the season comes.
"If they keep the pressure on themselves from now through the summer time those guys will be ready to play," believes Coach Pete.
The Broncos spring scrimmage is April 16th.
